Control system for fluid delivery mechanism



Aug. 5, 1969 J. H. BICKFORD ETAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR FLUID DELIVERYMECHANISM Filed Oct. 5, 1967 5% M RF 7 m M N o 5 BEN Y WH Wm NR .m w wtmm m M w K058, 2 ll a h 7 1 fi \L N \mm Q3 20 w to m .w 55 2% or NWEQPE1, S SE28 5E8 Ema -6E8 NS a 1 Q w 55 3% a R fig Q \I N a 20H t2 Ni at pUnited States Patent Office 3,459,330 Patented Aug. 5, 1969 US. Cl.222-2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fuel dispensing system havinga fuel delivery pump which may be conditioned for manual delivery forde; livering any desired amount of fuel or for automatic deliverycontrolled by an acceptor adapted for collecting a predeterminedmonetary deposit and/ or for accepting a credit card and which isadapted for activating the pump for delivering a fixed monetary amountof fuel. two-stage shut-off valve in the delivery line is held in itsfully open position by a key-operated selector when manual operation isselected, and a preset mechanism provides for holding the valve in itspartially open or throttled position during automatic operation and forcl0sing the valve when the appropriate monetary amount of fuel isdelivered. The preset mechanism is operated by a cam on the transferpinion shaft of the cost counter of the pump, and the cam is indexed bythe transfer pinion between the ten-cent and dollar number wheels of thecost counter to close the shut-off valve. The reset mechanism is resetto re-open the valve to its throttle position by the pump resetmechanism at the end of the reset cycle.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to fluiddispensing apparatus and in particular to a fluid delivery controlsystem having notable utility with fuel dispensing equipment forproviding self-service delivery of fuel.

It is a principal aim of the present invention to provide a new andimproved fuel dispensing system which is useful for delivering apredetermined monetary amount of fuel and which provides for accuratelydiscontinuing the delivery after such amount is dispensed.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improvedpreset mechanism for accurately discontinuing the delivery of fuel aftera predetermined amount of fuel has been delivered.

It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide aself-service fuel dispensing system which may be activated by apredetermined deposit, for example, a one-dollar bill, and/or byinsertion of a suitable credit card and which provides for accuratelydiscontinuing the delivery after the predetermined monetary amount offuel has been delivered.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improvedfuel dispensing system which may be conditioned for delivering anydesired amount of fuel or be conditioned for discontinuing the deliveryafter a predetermined amount of fuel is dispensed.

It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide a new andimproved fuel dispensing system which may be conditioned for deliveringa preset amount of fuel or conditioned for a manually controlleddelivery and in which the manual delivery may be made at a relativelyhigh rate and the preset delivery made at a relatively low rate.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improvedpreset mechanism which is of economical construction and which providesreliable operation over a long service life.

It is a still further aim of the present invention to provide aninexpensive self-service dispensing system which may be employed withconventional fuel dispensing equipment.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereafter set forth, and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration partly broken away and partly insection of a fuel dispensing system employing an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged generally diagrammatic elevational view partlybroken away and partly in section showing a preset mechanism employed inthe fuel dispensing system; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged generally diagrammatic view of a two-stageshut-off valve of the fuel dispensing system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing, afuel dispensing system which includes a fuel delivery pump 10 is shownincorporating an embodiment of a fluid delivery control system of thepresent invention which enables the pump 10 to be set for either manualor automatic operation with a key-operated selector 20 mounted on thepump housing 22.

The pump 10 in a conventional manner includes a fluid pump 24 driven bya motor 25 for supplying fuel via a meter 26, a two-stage shut-off valve23 and a fuel delivery hose 30 to the usual fuel dispensing nozzle 32.The meter 26 is adapted to drive a register 34 having cost and volumecounters 36, 33 for registering the cost and volume of fuel delivered. Amanually operable control handle 4t} is shown mounted adjacent the usualnozzle storage boot or receptacle 42 such that before the nozzle can bereturned to its storage receptacle, the handle 40 must be manuallyrotated to actuate a control switch 44 and thereby actuate a pumpcontrol relay 46 to turn off the pump motor 25. And the handle 40 maynot thereafter be operated to actuate the switch 44 to its on positionuntil after the nozzle 32 is removed from its storage receptacle.

For manual operation of the pump 10 the key-operated selector 20 isturned to its manual position to actuate a manual control relay 5G toits on position and an auto control relay 52 to its off position.Accordingly when the handle 40 is turned to its off position at the endof a fuel delivery, the pump control relay 46 is actuated to de-energizethe pump motor 25 and to thereby deactivate the pump 10. And when thehandle 40 is subsequently turned to its on position to commence asucceeding delivery, a reset control relay 58 is actuated to energize areset motor 60 for a register reset mechanism 6-2 having a reset shaft63 which is rotated to reset the register in a known manner.(Alternatively the system could employ a conventional manual resetmechanism of the type shown in US. Patent No. 2,814,444 of H. N. Blissdated Nov. 26, 1957 and entitled Register, so that when the handle 40 isrotated to its on position the reset mechanism is tripped to rotate thereset shaft 63 to reset the register.)

At the end of the reset cycle the reset mechanism actuates the resetcontrol relay 58 to de-energize the reset motor 60 and the pump controlrelay 46 to energize the pump motor 25. Fuel may then be delivered withthe nozzle 32 in the amount desired, and the pump may thereafter bedeactivated as desired by turning the handle 40 to its off position andreturning the nozzle 32 to its storage receptacle 42.

For automatic operation, the key-operated selector 20 is rotated to itsautomatic position to actuate the manual control relay 50 and the autocontrol relay 52 to disconnect the switch 44 from the reset controlrelay 58 and to connect the switch 44 to an acceptor control relay 70.Accordingly, when the handle 40 is placed in its off position theacceptor control relay 70 is actuated to energize an acceptor 72. Inaddition the pump control relay 46 is actuated to de-energize the pumpmotor 25.

The acceptor 72 provides for collecting a predetermined deposit, whichmay be in coin but which is preferably a one-dollar bill, and/or foraccepting a suitable credit card or key (in which instance the acceptormay incorporate a suitable validator and means such as a printer orpunching device for recording the operation of the pump by the creditcard or key) and upon the deposit and collection of the predetermineddeposit or insertion of a credit card or key the acceptor control relay70 is actuated to de-energize the acceptor 72 (and to thereby preventcollecting any subsequent deposit or use of another credit card or key)and for providing a first input to a suitable AND circuit 74. The handle40 may then be manually rotated to its on position to provide the secondinput to the AND circuit 74 for actuating the reset control relay 58.The reset motor 60 is then energized to reset the register 34 and thepump control relay 46 is actuated to energize the pump motor 25 at theend of the reset cycle. Fuel may then be delivered with the dispensingnozzle 32.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, a valve operating mechanism 80associated with the cost counter 36 is adapted for operating thetwo-stage shut-off valve 28 to discontinue the delivery of fuel afterthe predetermined monetary amount of fuel is delivered. Specificallywith the system designed for a predetermined monetary delivery of onedollar, the preset mechanism 80 is adapted to close the valve 28 after adollars worth of fuel has been delivered. Also, although a two-stageshut-off could be provided for automatic delivery in any conventionalmanner, in the shown embodiment the two-stage shut-off valve is held inits partially closed or throttled position so as to deliver fuel at areduced rate during automatic delivery and so that the preset mechanism80 can provide for accurately terminating the fuel delivery with aone-stage shut-off phase merely by timely closing the valve 28.(However, during manual operation of the pump when the delivery isdiscontinued as desired, the valve 28 is preferably held fully open toprovide a more rapid delivery rate.)

The shown valve operating mechanism includes a valve control lever 83which is connected to a valve operating lever 84 (FIG. 3) by a rod 85,and a detent lever 86 which in its active or detent position shown inFIG. 2 is adapted to retain the control lever 83 in an intermediatepivotal position for holding the two-stage shut-off valve 28 in itspartially closed or throttled position against the bias of the valveclosing spring 87.

A release or trip cam 90 is mounted on the usual transfer pinion shaft92 of the cost counter 36 to which is also affixed the transfer pinion94 (FIG. 1) between the tencent and dollar number wheels of the costcounter 36. Thus, as a transfer is generated to the dollar number wheelthe cam 90 will be indexed (one quarter of a revolution in the usualcounter) to pivot the detent lever 86 outwardly to release the controllever 83 and close the valve 28.

The delivery is thereby terminated and a succeeding delivery may notthereafter be made until the handle 40 is returned to its off positionto re-energize the acceptor. An additional dollar may then be depositedin the acceptor 72 (or in the case of a credit card or key-operatedyacceptor, the credit card or key may be reinserted or left in theacceptor) and the handle 40 may be returned to its on position to resetthe register 34, and during the resetting cycle of the reset mechanism62 the valve control lever 83 will be pivoted to open the valve 28 by acam 96 driven by the reset shaft 63 (preferably after the register 34and therefore after the transfer pinion 94 and number wheels of the costcounter 36 have been fully reset). Once the reset cycle is completed andthe pump motor 25 is re-energized, an additional one dollars worth offuel may be dispensed.

When the key-operated selector 20 is rotated to its manual position acam 100 on the key-operated shaft 102 is rotated to hold the valvecontrol lever 83 in its fully withdrawn position partially shown inbroken lines in FIG. 2 and to thereby deactivate the preset mechanismand hold the valve 28 in its fully open position while the pump 10 isbeing used for manual operation.

Referring to FIG. 3 a conventional two-stage shut-off valve 28 is showncomprising a secondary or throttle valve 102 which is adapted to be heldopen when the 'valve control lever 83 is held by the detent lever 86 asshown in FIG. 2, and a primary valve 104 mounted in parallel with thesecondary valve 102 and adapted to be opened by the valve stem 106 whenthe key-operated selector 20 is placed in its manual position.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modificationsand adaptations of the structure above described will become readilyapparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention,the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a self-service fluid dispensing system having a resettableregister for registering the amount of fluid delivered, valve meansadapted to be opened for permitting the delivery of fluid and to beclosed for terminating the fluid delivery, preset means adapted to beset to a preset oondition for closing the valve means after a presetamount of fluid has been delivered; and delivery control means operableto be conditioned for resetting the register, setting the preset meansand opening the valve means; the improvement wherein the preset means issettable by the delivery control means to a single preset condition foruniformly closing the valve means after a fixed predetermined monetaryamount of fluid has been delivered thereafter and wherein the dispensingsystem further comprises money acceptor means adapted only upon thedeposit of at least said fixed predetermined monetary amount forconditioning the delivery control means for resetting the register,setting the preset means to said single preset condition and opening thevalve means.

2. In the self-service dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the fixedpredetermined monetary amount is one dollar and wherein the moneyacceptor means comprises a dollar bill acceptor adapted only upon thedeposit of a one-dollar bill for conditioning the delivery control meansfor resetting the register, setting the preset means to said singlepreset condition and opening the valve means.

3. In the self-service dispensing system of claim 2 wherein the registercomprises a cost counter for registering the cost of the fuel deliveredin dollars and cents and having a plurality of coaxial counter wheels ofascending order including cent, ten-cent and dollar wheels and transferpinions between counter wheels for generating transfers from lower orderto higher order wheels; and wherein the preset means is connected to beoperated by the dollar wheel transfer pinion between the ten-cent anddollar counter wheels to close the valve means when a transfer isgenerated from the ten-cent number wheel to the dollar number wheel.

4. In a self-servicefluid dispensing system having valve means withclosed and partially and fully open positions providing separate flowrates, valve operating means operable for closing the valve means and tobe conditioned for. holding 'the valve means in each of its partiallyand fully closed positions, preset means adapted to be conditioned forbeing operative for automatically operating the valve operating meansfor closing the valve means to terminate the fluid delivery after apreset amount of fluid has been delivered and to be conditioned forbeing inoperative for operating the valve operating means for closingthe valve means for terminating. the fuel delivery, and selector meansadapted to be operated for conditioning the preset means for beingoperative for automatically operating the valve operating means forclosing the valve means after said preset amount is delivered and to beoperated for conditioning the preset means for being inoperative forautomatically operating the valve operating means forclosing the valvemeans after said preset amount is delivered, the improvement wherein thevalve operating means, when the preset means is conditioned by theselector means for being operative for automatically closing the valvemeans, is conditioned for holding the valve means in its partially openposition during the delivery until said preset amount has beendelivered; and wherein the valve operating means, when the selectormeans is operated for conditioning the preset means for beinginoperative, is conditioned for holding the valve means in its fullyopen position.

5. In a fluid dispensing system having a resettable register with aplurality of coaxial counter wheels of ascending order adapted forregistering the amount of controlling the fluid delivery, and presetmeans adapted to be operated in accordance with the delivery of fluidfor closing the valve means after a predetermined amount of fluid hasbeen delivered, the improvement wherein the preset means is connected tobe operated by one of the transfer means of the register for closing thevalve means in accordance with the operation of said transfer means bythe adjacent lower order wheel.

6. -In a self-service fluid dispensing system having a resettableregister for registering the amount of fluid delivered, valve meansadapted to be opened for permitting the delivery of fluid and to beclosed for terminating the fluid delivery, preset means adapted to beset for closing the valve means after a preset amount of fluid has beendelivered; and delivery control means operable to be conditioned forresetting the register, setting the preset means and opening the valvemeans; the improvement wherein the preset means is adapted to close thevalve means after a fixed predetermined monetary amount of fluid hasbeen delivered; wherein the dispensing system further comprises moneyacceptor means adapted upon the deposit of said fixed predeterminedmonetary amount for conditioning the delivery control means forresetting the register, setting the preset means and opening the valvemeans; wherein the fixed predetermined monetary amount is one dollar andthe money acceptor means comprises a dollar bill acceptor adapted uponthe deposit of a one-dollar bill for conditioning the delivery controlmeans for resetting the register, setting the preset means and openingthe valve means; wherein the register comprises a cost counter forregistering the cost of the fuel delivered in dollars and cents andhaving a plurality of coaxial counter wheels of ascending orderincluding cent, ten-cent and dollar wheels and transfer pinions betweencounter wheels for generating transfers from lower order to higher orderwheels; wherein the preset means is connected to be operated by thedollar wheel transfer pinion between the ten-cent and dollar counterwheels to close the valve means when a transfer is generated from theten-cent number wheel to the dollar number wheel; wherein the presetmeans comprises lever means connected to the valve means and adapted tobe pivoted in a first pivotal direction to a first pivotal position forholding the valve means open, releasable detent means for retaining thelever means in its first pivotal position, and cam means connected forrotation coaxially with the dollar wheel transfer pinion for releasingthe detent means; and wherein the delivery control means provides forpivoting the lever means to its said first pivotal position forretention by the detent means.

7. In a self-service fluid dispensing system having valve means whichclosed and partially and fully open positiosn providing a two-stageshut-off of the fluid delivery, preset means adapted to be conditionedfor being operative for automatically closing the valve means toterminate the fluid delivery after a preset amount of fluid has beendelivered and to be conditioned for being inoperative for terminatingthe fuel delivery, and selector means adapted to be operated forconditioning the preset means for being operative for automaticallyclosing the valve means after said preset amount is delivered and to beoperated for conditioning the preset means for being inoperative forautomatically closing the valve means after said preset amount isdelivered, the improvement wherein the preset means provides, whenconditioned for automatically closing the valve means, for retaining thevalve means in its partially open position until said preset amount hasbeen delivered; wherein the selector means, when operated forconditioning the preset means for being inoperative, provides forretaining the valve means in its fully open position; wherein the presetmechanism comprises a pivotal lever adapted to be pivoted in one pivotaldirection to a first pivotal position to open the valve means to itspatrially open position and to be pivoted in said one pivotal directionbeyond said first pivotal position to a second pivotal position to openthe valve means to its fully open position, and releasable means forretaining the lever in its first pivotal position; and wherein theselector means, when operated for conditioning the preset means forbeing inoperative, pivots the lever to its second pivotal position.

8. In the self-service dispensing system of claim 6 whereinthe valvemeans has partially open and fully open positions providing a two-stagetermination of the fuel delivery; wherein the lever means is connectedto be pivoted in its said first pivotal direction to its first pivotalposition to retain the valve means in its partially open position andfurther in the first pivotal direction to a second pivotal position toretain the valve means in its fully open position; and wherein thedispensing system comprises selector means for alternatively pivotingthe lever means to its second pivotal position for opening the valvemeans to its fully open position and for thereby deactivating the presetmeans and for releasing the lever means for retention by the detentmeans and to be pivoted by the delivery control means.

9. In a fluid dispensing system having a resettable register with aplurality of coaxial counter wheels of ascending order adapted forregistering the amount of fluid delivered and transfer means operablefor generating transfers between adjacent lower and higher order wheels,a reset mechanism for resetting the register between deliveries, valvemeans for controlling the fluid delivery, and preset means adapted to beoperated in accordance with the delivery of fluid for closing the valvemeans after a predetermined amount of fluid has been delivered, theimprovement wherein the preset means is connected to be operated by thetransfer means of the register for closing the valve means in accordancewith the operation of said transfer means; and wherein the preset meanscomprises a pivotal valve control lever connected to the valve means andhaving a first pivotal position for holding the valve means open,releasable latching means for 1 retaining the lever in its first pivotalposition, and release means operated by the transfer means for releasingthe References Cited latching means.

10. In a fluid dispensing system of claim 9 wherein UNITED STATESPATENTS the transfer means comprises a transfer pinion shaft and3,185,344 5/1965 Kenney 222, 20 coaxial transfer pinions on the shaftmounted interme- 5 3,365,045 1/1968 Guttmann et a1 222 2 X diate thecounter wheels for generating transfers between adjacent lower andhigher order wheels, one of the transfer pinions being fixed to thepinion shaft for rotation STANLEY TOLLBERG Pnmary Exammer therewith andthe remaining transfer pinions being ro- US Cl XR tatable on the pinionshaft; and wherein the release means 10 comprises a cam fixed to thepinion shaft for rotation 222 20 with said one transfer pinion.

